April was a big month for collaboration, innovation, and global recognition across the WaterRA network. From major funding milestones to international partnerships and student publications, here’s a snapshot of the ripples and results making waves this month.
🚣♂️ Recreational access and drinking water: Final report released to WaterRA members
Project 1124 delivered a robust, evidence-based member-only report examining the impacts of recreational activity in drinking water catchments. A strategic rollout plan is in place to guide its implementation and influence national practice.
🌱 Nitrous oxide emissions protocol gains global traction
Project 2098’s interim methodology is shaping how the sector monitors N₂O emissions from wastewater treatment. IWA Publishing will support its open-access release, with a formal global launch set for the 2026 World Water Congress in Glasgow.
💡 Centre of Excellence for Persistent Pollutant Elimination (CoE-PPE)
UWA’s proposal for a national Centre of Excellence is one step closer to reality, progressing to the full application stage with a potential $35M in federal funding. WaterRA supported the bid and hosted a 55-person stakeholder workshop to help shape the research vision.
🔬 WaterVal® Research Program goes global
With support from over 20 partners, WaterVal® is expanding to validate more treatment processes—including chemical contaminants and PRW. The program is now recognised internationally, with a key collaboration underway with California’s CalVal team who will co-lead workshops at Next Water 2025.
🔥 Project 1152 paves way for national bushfire response
Findings from this ChemCentre-led project were shared via a member webinar. Its insights are informing WaterRA’s new Bushfire Resilience Project, recently awarded $482K through NEMA’s Disaster Ready Fund to advance national response protocols.
🎓 New publications in scientific literature
We’re proud to share that two projects from our Research Leadership Program have recently been published!
- Angel Chyi En We, supported by Melbourne Water and University of Melbourne, published “Foam fractionation for removal of contaminants of emerging concern from sewage” in the Journal of Hazardous Materials → Read more
- Samira Rashetnia, supported by Melbourne Water and Victoria University, published “Implementation of WSUD approaches to manage stormwater quality & quantity in existing developments” in Water 2025 → Read more
Stay connected for more updates as WaterRA continues to deliver impact.
Want to get involved? Reach out to the team to explore opportunities for collaboration!